The present invention relates to a system and a method for automatic mail operation with four-state barcode. In particular, the system in accordance with the present invention applies priority to three four-state barcodes and therefore provides multi-language service and automatic sort processing.
Conventionally, the postal code and the delivery sequence number have been used for automatic sort of mailings as a form of barcodes. Another code 39 barcodes are used for the post office work, which means two different barcode systems are employed, one for automatic sort of mailings and the other for office works. In other words, the barcodes of code 39 and the barcode for automatic sort of mailings are not compatible. The mailings employing code 39 by office workers cannot be applied to the automatic sorting system and therefore those mailings have been processed by manual work. The barcodes of code 39 are capable of containing information only about numbers and the structure of the system is complicated. Therefore, it takes relatively long time to make an input by customers.
The four state barcode printing and scanning system in accordance with the present invention creates a integrated system with a new barcode structure, in which four state barcodes are employed for automatic sort of mailings and office work. Four state barcodes are applied to process Information required for the office work like information regarding a sender, a receiver, customer""s ID, service type, weight, etc. The barcodes are obtained by an automatic sort system and the processing time is supplied to an information system. Therefore, the four-state barcode printing and scanning system in accordance with the present invention provides convenient services and maintenance of mailings.
In four-state barcode system, which has been used for automatic sort of mailings, 4 barcodes are employed to make difference between the top and the bottom. A weight of 0, 1, 2, 3 is determined by the position of bars. If the value of barcode characters is bigger than 6, it is to be replaced by 0. Therefore, with 6xc3x976 matrix, 10 numbers and 26 alphabets are represented. In Royal Mail of England, such a system has been extended. In Canada, Canada postal service uses a weight of 0, 1, 2, 3 for bars and numbers and alphabets are represented by the combination of bars. 64 barcode characters are used with the help of a 4 state 3 bar reference table and they contain information regarding automatic sort of mailings. The barcode system of code 39 is used to represent contents filled by customers at offices and for tracking service.
In addition, the barcode system of post offices should be capable of processing keywords, for example, the name of the customer. In conventional barcode information system, only alphabets and numbers have been available. Therefore, in countries where English is not able to express the unique features of their mother language, another barcode information structure has been required. In particular, in countries where English alphabets are not used, a separate barcode structure is required. For example, in Korea, a few graphemes are combined to form a character and therefore it is difficult to express many Hangul characters in conventional barcode systems.
A system and a method for automatic mail operation with four-state barcode are provided.
An automatic mail operation processing system with four-state barcode in accordance with the present invention includes customer barcode supporting system, mail operation supporting system, and automatic sorting system. The customer barcode supporting system converts information into four-state barcode and prints the barcode on mail and mail receiving form when a customer supplies the information. The information is necessary for shipping the mail. The mail operation supporting system receives the mail and the mail receiving form, determines postal fee, and reports result of receipt to the customer through the customer barcode supporting system. The automatic sorting system reads the four-state barcode on the mail and sorts the mail automatically.
Desirably, the information comprises number information and character information. The number information is expressed by two four-state barcodes and the character information is expressed by three four-state barcodes.
Desirably, the number information is expressed by two four-state barcodes and barcode values of the two four-state barcodes are obtained by following equation.                                           C            1                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                              Num                4                            )                                                                                C            0                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                              Num                -                                  4                  ⁢                                      C                    1                                                              )                                                Num    ⁢          :        ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    number    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    represented    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    by    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    barcodes  
Desirably, the character information is expressed by three four-state barcodes and barcode values of the three four-state barcodes are obtained by following equation.                                           C            2                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                                                                    Char                    v                                    -                                      63                    ⁢                    V                                                                    4                  2                                            )                                                                                C            1                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                                                                                          Char                      v                                        -                                          63                      ⁢                      V                                                        4                                -                                  4                  ⁢                                      C                    2                                                              )                                                                                C            0                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                                                Char                  v                                -                                  63                  ⁢                  V                                -                                                      4                    2                                    ⁢                                      C                    2                                                  -                                  4                  ⁢                                      C                    1                                                              )                                                      Char      v        ⁢          :        ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    code    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    value    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    assigned    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    to    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    characters        V    ⁢          :        ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    priority    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    information  
Desirably, the priority information is expressed by a four-state bar or three four-state bars.
Desirably, the customer barcode supporting system includes customer address management means, four-state barcode reference table, four-state barcode generating means, and four-state barcode image printing means.
The customer address management means provides address information, service type, service level, quantity, and reference weight to the mail operation supporting system and receives postal code and delivery sequence number, address information, service type, service level, quantity, and reference weight provided by customer. The postal code and the delivery sequence number are obtained from the address information. The four-state barcode reference table stores barcode values of numbers and alphabets. The four-state barcode generating means converts information of mail receiving form and information of automatic sort into four state barcode characters in reference to the four-state barcode reference table. The four-state barcode image printing means prints the four state barcode characters on mail receiving form and mail.
Desirably, the four-state barcode generating means generates barcode characters for error correction with the four state barcode characters.
Desirably, the four-state barcode generating means adds the four-state barcode characters, divides result of the addition by 64, and expresses residue of the division with three four-state barcodes.
Desirably, the mail operation supporting system includes barcode reading means, measuring means, and mail window system. The barcode reading means receives mail and mail receiving form from the customer barcode supporting system and reads four state barcodes printed on the mail and the mail receiving form. The measuring means measures weight of the mail. The mail window system determines discount availability of postal fee on the basis of error occurrences in reading the four state barcode, calculates postal fee on the basis of the weight of the mail and result of the barcode reading means, confirms if the postal fee is paid, and provides the mail and information regarding the mail to the automatic sorting system.
Desirably, the automatic sorting system includes barcode reading means, storage means, and distributing means. The barcode reading means reads postal code and delivery sequence number of shipping address from number information section of four state barcode printed on the mail. The storage means stores the result of the barcode reading means. The distributing means distributes the mail on the basis of the postal code and the delivery sequence number.
An automatic mail operation processing method with four-state barcode following steps. The first step is to convert information into four-state barcode when a customer supplies the information. The information is necessary for shipping a mail. The second step is to print the four-state barcode on the mail and mail receiving form. The third step is to determine postal fee on the basis of service type of the mail, service level of the mail, weight of the mail, quantity of the mail, and status of reading the four-state barcode. The fourth step is to read four-state barcode printed on the mail receiving form, storing the four state barcode, and shipping mail when postal fee is paid. The fifth step is to sort the mail automatically on the basis of postal code information and delivery sequence number information extracted from four-state barcode. The four-state barcode is printed on the mail.
Desirably, the automatic mail operation processing method further includes a step for providing information regarding the sorted mail to arrival quantity planning system of place to where the mail is shipped.
Desirably, the first step is to convert the number information into two four-state barcodes and converting character information into three four-state barcodes with priority.
Desirably, the number information is expressed by two four-state barcodes and barcode values of the two four-state barcodes obtained by following equation.                                           C            1                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                              Num                4                            )                                                                                C            0                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                              Num                -                                  4                  ⁢                                      C                    1                                                              )                                                Num    ⁢          :        ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    number    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    represented    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    by    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    barcodes  
Desirably, the character information is expressed by three four-state barcodes, barcode values of the three four-state barcodes obtained by following equation.                                           C            2                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                                                                    Char                    v                                    -                                      63                    ⁢                    V                                                                    4                  2                                            )                                                                                C            1                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                                                                                          Char                      v                                        -                                          63                      ⁢                      V                                                        4                                -                                  4                  ⁢                                      C                    2                                                              )                                                                                C            0                    =                      xe2x80x83                    ⁢                      int            ⁡                          (                                                Char                  v                                -                                  63                  ⁢                  V                                -                                                      4                    2                                    ⁢                                      C                    2                                                  -                                  4                  ⁢                                      C                    1                                                              )                                                      Char      v        ⁢          :        ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    code    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    value    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    assigned    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    to    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    characters        V    ⁢          :        ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    priority    ⁢          xe2x80x83        ⁢    information  
Desirably, the priority information is expressed by a four-state bar or three four-state bars.
Desirably, the third step is to apply discount postal fee if errors occurred in reading barcode can be corrected or errors are not occurred in reading barcode and applying normal fee without discount if errors occurred in reading barcode cannot be corrected.